On Sat, May 19, 2012 5:08 pm, Adrien Lamothe wrote:
> Wonder how this statement out of the G8 conference may affect software
> patent efforts:
Badly. Why do you ask? ^_^
> Given the importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) to
> stimulating job and economic growth,
The simplest of Voodoo economics, in which monopoly is competition,
austerity is stimulus, deficits due to tax cuts are future surpluses,
recessions are economic growth, and unemployment is due to invisible
job gains in the magical flying unicorn care market. In fact, IPR is
the primary engine of monopoly power in the global economy, except
where subverted by Copyleft.
In particular, IPR in pharmaceuticals is currently responsible for
more deaths by government action than anything else, including war and
North Korean famine (but not all earlier instances. We are not at the
levels of Pol Pot, Stalin, Mao, Hitler, the Belgian Congo, the Opium
Wars, the Bengal famine brought on by the British East India
Company...). US Trade Representative Ron Kirk is currently bullying
countries that have announced their intention to authorize generic
drugs for major epidemics in their countries. In that respect, the
Obama Administration is worse than the Bush Administration, which
negotiated exceptions for just such life-saving generics. (Testimony
at hearing called by Sen. Bernie Sanders, with Joe Stiglitz and Larry
Lessig as star witnesses.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/15/sen-bernie-sanders-holds-hearing-to-announce-3-billion-aids-drug-prize/http://www.c-span.org/Events/Hearing-Discusses-Legislation-to-Lower-the-Cost-of-HIVAIDS-Drugs/10737430698/)
A false statement implies anything.
Oh, yeah? Let's see it. Start from the Voodoo economics in this
statement, and prove you're the Pope.
No problem. Given Voodoo economics, as above, -1 = 1, from which we
can deduce that 2=3, and 1 = 2. The Pope and I are two, therefore we
are one. (From an instance originally provided by Bertrand Russell.)
> we affirm the significance of high
> standards for IPR protection and enforcement, including through
> international legal instruments and mutual assistance agreements, as
> well as through government procurement processes, private-sector
> voluntary codes of best practices, and enhanced customs cooperation,
to the kleptocracy
> while promoting the free flow of information."
A blatant self-contradiction that does not even rise to the level of
implausible deniability.
Let us rather talk about what progress we are making against the
monopolist concept of IPR, in Free Software, Creative Commons, Open
Courseware, Open Educational Resources, and even in progress toward
giving a billion children at a time as much Free Software and Creative
Commons content as they can use. Eventually they will even be able to
communicate with each other and the rest of us, once they can get out
from under the pervasive, suffocating censorship that all governments
agree must be imposed on children for their own good.
Perhaps we could discuss how we can help to make this a reality, and
consider what will happen when Free Software is the dominant paradigm.
What would the next challenge be?
--
Edward Mokurai (默雷/निशब्दगर्ज/نشبدگرج) Cherlin
Silent Thunder is my name, and Children are my nation.
The Cosmos is my dwelling place, the Truth my destination.
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Replacing_Textbooks